6 comments:

What does the NHL think of NHL players training with Russian clubs? It's not like The Russian Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL are really buddies. And wouldn't owners like to protect their investment?

Good questions. I'm sure there are clauses in every SPC (player contract) detailing acceptable and unacceptable offseason activities (for example, Ovechkin and Fedorov probably aren't allowed to participate in full-contact drills, if there are any).

As far as the transfer agreement (which is wherein the tension you refer to is), that obviously doesn't come into play and I'm sure as far as Dynamo is concerned, these are just a couple of great players there for a workout, so they don't much care.

My guess is that teams aren't too worried that their players will get hurt or that they're training in certain places, because they assume the players won't put themselves in unreasonably dangerous situations. After all, doing on-ice drills can't be nearly the risk that playing in the World Championships is, and teams have to let their players participate in that tournament, right?

Yes, but the NHL has entered into an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation (or whatever it's called). So owners have to let their players participate, however I doubt such an agreement exists with the Russian federation.

It is possible that training with a Russian team in the off-season is worked into their contracts to be allowable, it would be worth investigating, if I didn't have the darn day job to hinder my hockey-related efforts.

It also may be a case of a team allowing their players to do it to keep them happy and content, even though it seems like some stupid owner would challenge this at some point.

I think you're slightly off - teams have to allow their players to play in the IIHF events not because of the IIHF/NHL agreement but because it was negotiated into the CBA. See Article 24.6:

24.6 For the IIHF World Championships, the Clubs shall permit a Player to play for hisNational team provided:(a) The Player's Club either did not qualify for the NHL Playoffs or waseliminated in an early round of the Playoffs.(b) No agent or representative of the Player's National team inquired as towhether the Player would be willing to play for his National team until after his Club waseliminated from the NHL Playoffs and any such inquiry was not made prior to givingnotice to the General Manager of the Player's Club.(c) The IIHF or the Player's National team agree to provide such insurance tocover the remaining value of the Player's SPC.(d) The IIHF or the Player's National team agree to provide such additional